Help me figure out this Silver Blue Spinel cushion

[innerkitten]

Grove and Fillmore, yes he''s right near Hayes Valley ( and my MIL) There is a strip of restaurants and cafe''s there on Hayes street.

 

[sanfranciscoellen]

So here''s the deal so far, friends, for our Colored Gem Drool-and-Fingerprint Avoidance Fest...

Date: Tuesday, August 15th at 11:30am
Place: Absinthe Brasserie, 398 Hayes Street @ Gough, click here for directions

Yes:
Wallermama
Widget
Movie Zombie
Innerkitten
Flopkins

Maybe:
Art Nouveau

After lunch, those who would like to help Wallermama potentially pick a different, new improved spinel can do so.

Then...where next? Any recommendations? Let''s think about jewelers with a colored spin.... Let me list the jewelers I know about...feel free to chime in...

Union Square:
Tiffany''s
Lang''s Estates on Sutter
Shreve
Cartier
Gumps
Neimans
Saks
Simayof
Jeanine Payer
etc etc

Union Street:
Union Street Goldsmith, my personal fave for eye candy
Dianne''s Old and New Estates
Simayof, Again
Stuart Moore
John Atencio

Sacramento Street
Goldberry, which is appointment only I think...never been but their colors are outrageous

Anyone have any other thoughts? Does all of this still sound fun and do you still think you will make it? Let me know!

 

[movie zombie]

Wallermama,

i, too, love Union Street Goldsmith!

btw, good groundwork for the afternoon. and thanks for making lunch reservations! in case i get there a bit early, is it really in the name of Wallermama?!

i vote for going where we can see the most.........more shops on union street, but if you can get an appoint with the place w/outrageous color, that could be interesting.

total brutal honesty after looking at gemcal''s website again: cut and color are not impressive. prices are low i think for a reason...... however, i believe it is necessary to see as many stones as one can in all price ranges before making a decision. and he may have stones not listed on the website! he may have something that will knock your socks off and be worth putting a reserve on......until you can see more in the afternoon to compare it to.

in poking around other vendor websites, i think the color you are looking for is unusual. and i love the unusual! however, it could make finding a good stone tricky.

i hope my being brutally honest about my opinion re gemcal isn''t offensive to you or anyone else. i do believe it is a great thing that there are stones for every budget, but why settle for less if you can find something in the price range you''ve set for yourself that makes you sing?!

movie zombie

 

[sanfranciscoellen]

Date: 8/10/2006 2:18:57 PM
Author: movie zombie
Wallermama,

total brutal honesty after looking at gemcal''s website again: cut and color are not impressive. prices are low i think for a reason...... however, i believe it is necessary to see as many stones as one can in all price ranges before making a decision. and he may have stones not listed on the website! he may have something that will knock your socks off and be worth putting a reserve on......until you can see more in the afternoon to compare it to.


in poking around other vendor websites, i think the color you are looking for is unusual. and i love the unusual! however, it could make finding a good stone tricky.


i hope my being brutally honest about my opinion re gemcal isn''t offensive to you or anyone else. i do believe it is a great thing that there are stones for every budget, but why settle for less if you can find something in the price range you''ve set for yourself that makes you sing?!


movie zombie

I loooove brutal honesty. Never fear! It is funny, because when I originally ordered the spinel I asked her about the cut quality, and she said, "It is the best we have here. Maybe you can meet David to see his stock." In retrospect, that answer told me everything I needed to know.

"The best" is much different than "the best we have here."

I can''t wait to have experienced people looking at gems with me! Here is what David says he has in inventory to show... I don''t even know what some of these are so I''m grateful to have other eyes to help me look, compare, and learn! It''s so much easier than a trip to Thailand...although I loved Thailand and want to go back, it is hard to make it there and back in the several hours I have a babysitter

red / hotpink singles and match pairs spinels
red / hotpink melees spinels
fancy color singles and match pairs spinels (cinnamon, walnut, teal, blues, purples, violets,
silver, pink... etc... etc...)
blue sapphires
mandarin garnet (singles and melees)
rasberry garnets
hessonite garnets
aquamarine
Mozambique tourmaline
champagne, brandy, lemon yellow, green zircons
blue zircons
crysoberyls
single & match pairs Burmese and Sri Lanka
moonstones (cabs & checkeredboard cut)
and more ...



Also, the reservation is under "Ellen". They open at 11:30am. When do you think you will arrive in the city?

 

[Kismet]

*pushes nose against the computer screen and whimpers* Take lots of pictures (if you can) so that the rest of us can live vicariously through you.

 

[movie zombie]

oh, he has a much more diverse inventory than i thought! now i am excited!

i''ve been looking into parking v. bart. i also called absinthe and found there is a parking garage close by....and then i searched online until i found their phone number and called them!

Performing Arts Garage
360 Grove St., between Franklin and Gough, (415) 252-8238
$11 for performances
Attendant on duty, covered garage

but the price is something like $10/day if you get there before 10a and check out by 6p.

however, if i get there at 11a, its $2.75 the first hour and $2.00 per hour after that....which for city parking isn''t too horrible. if i drive up, i''ll plan to leave the car there with the expectation that we''ll be taking a taxi or other public transit to destination.

bart would be get off at the civic center and walk over to absinthe....and is $3.80 one way if i catch it at milbrae.

at this point, i''m leaning towards driving in and paying for parking until i come back for the car. and i thought i''d aim for 11a. gives me time to be late, accounts for traffic, finding a spot in the parking garage, etc. i''d also thought of getting there early enough to wander around the neighborhood but i''ll be dropping hubby off at work in mountain view so that might not happen.

movie zombie

 

[widget]

Hi guys..

Weiird post here...I''m writing this from a copy store next door to a computer repair stop Yeah...my machine crashed.

I forgot my glasses so I can''t read everyone''s posts, in fack I can''t even proofread this! LOL

I''m still on for the 15th, and will be back in touch when I''m reconnected to the world...

widget

 

[flopkins]

I think I can make it. I might only be able to come for lunch and see the gemcal stuff though... some of us have to get *some* work in! hehe.

It's hard to tell from the website the quality of the stones, but *some* of the gemcal stuff looks like they have significant windowing... but unless you're looking at them... I can't trust color stone pics!!

I am hoping to BART in - I think the Civic Center station is pretty close to Absinthe? I think parking around there isn't TOO bad, mostly meters and the parking garage is expensive, IMO... (then again, where is parking NOT expensive in SF?!) although I usually don't go to that area, and have never been there during the morning.

I would vote Union St. bc I think the shops are better there, but BART is easier for me to catch from Union Square, esp since I may not stay the whole day...

Anyhoo, looking forward to meeting you all!

ETA: widget - your post is so funny!! hehe. I think you are going to wish you had your glasses to proofread when you read it over again.

I'm sorry about your computer though, I hope it gets fixed!!!!

ETA: kismet - I just got a new digital camera, I will be sure to have it all charged up to take pics!

ETA: waller - I am hoping to arrive just around 11:30 or so... although I might be in the city early to catch my beautician if I can get an appt... there are some cute shops around Hayes, but I'm not sure how early they open.

 

[innerkitten]

I''ll be there too. But I also can only come to lunch and see the gemcal stuff because my husband can only watch the baby for part of the day. I have seen his stones before, a long time ago. I just remember that i liked the spinels I saw. That was the first time I''d ever seen spinel.
I''m jealous that you might be going to Lang! I want everything in that place
I got my engagement ring there.

 

[widget]

Great, Innerkitten! I look forward to meeting you!

Well, I''ve got my computer back...thank God (it''s disturbing how ''undone'' I felt not having it there for me first thing in the morning...)

I''ll be at the restaurant at 11:30...can''t wait...but am not sure whether I''ll be able to stick around for ''shopping'' after the gem viewing adventure..we''ll see..

Flopkins: Hee hee...I was shocked how TEENY the print was on that rented computer!!! I was going to go back and edit that other post but decided to leave it as is. In fack...I like it! LOL

widget

 

[Art Nouveau]

Since I cannot take a day off on Tuesday, 8/15/06, I''m afraid I cannot join you all for lunch and color stone shopping. But do give a report please. I am curious to know what this vendor has to offer. The stones on the web site are not that great, but the prices are cheap. He may have a more extensive inventory not listed on the website. At this point, I am interested in a pair of inexpensive peach/salmon color stones, 2-3 carat each for earrings to match my pad sapphire ring; spinel, Malaya garnet or any stone in that color will do. If you come across such a pair, I would really appreciate it if you would let me know. Thanks. Unless something unexpected comes up. I should be able to make the next Bay Area get-together in SF in September.

Have fun on Tuesday!

AN

 

[widget]

Gosh...this thread is pretty quiet...It''s still on, isn''t it???

Unless I hear otherwise, I''ll see you guys tomorrow at 11:30 at the Absinthe Brasserie on Hayes...right???

AN: Sorry to hear you can''t make it! I''ll keep my eyes peeled for some nice pad-colored pairs for you! (I love a mission)

Cheers, everybody!

widget

 

[sanfranciscoellen]

Heck yeah, it''s still on!

I''ll have to see how much time we have after our lunch and first stop, to go on windowshopping. It will depend on how long my babysitter is willing to stay. If she is game for a longer afternoon, so am I...

I can''t wait to meet you guys in person. Janis, at least I know your face! Everyone else, either look for people who are looking at your fingers rather than your face, or ask the host for the table of 6 under my name, "ellen".

Ciao!

 

[movie zombie]

see you there! almost had to back out: i have an allergy related upper respiratory...nothing contagious....just sound awful and snuffle a lot. you are warned. but my energy level is much better today. going to clean my spess tonight!

movie zombie

ps will be there with loupe.

 

[flopkins]

oooh so excited!

Is anyone going to bring anything in their own personal collections?

 

[sanfranciscoellen]

Date: 8/15/2006 1:05:10 AM
Author: flopkins
oooh so excited!


Is anyone going to bring anything in their own personal collections?

I hope so! Widget brought a magic bag last time that seemed bottomless....she just kept slowly pulling things out, like clowns getting out of a tiny clown car at the circus....

I have no colored gems to bring! But I''ll be happy to babysit yours....

MZ, I''m also a wee bit under the weather. We can sit in the sneezy corner.

Off to the grocery store....see you at 11:30am!

 

[innerkitten]

Looking forward to seeing you all
I don''t have anything to bring except the rings on my finger ( wedding and engagement rings) . My sapphire ring is being fixed, my favorite bracelet is missing a stone and I have a couple of antique rings that need repair. But I can''t wait to see what everyone else brings!